Wednesday
October 16, 2002
Vol. 113, Issue No. 40
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
Jaydreamers tryout to become one of Roy's Boys p. 1B
Students' activities vary during fall break
By Lindsay Hanson
Ihanson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The second annual fall break at the University of Kansas starts tomorrow, and it has students itching to leave town, even if it means going home for the weekend.
Tiffany Bode, Newton junior, said the four-dav break should be extended.
"It's not really a long enough period of time to make a big trip without missing Wednesday or Monday classes," she said. "But I'm getting away from school and going home to do some free laundry."
Melanie Hepburn, assistant dean of social welfare, said she had not noticed if the break had been beneficial.
"I don't know if I've seen a difference in our students being refreshed," Hepburn said, "but it does break up the semester nicely."
However, some instructors think fall break should be eliminated. Craig Martin, professor of biology, said he opposed the extra two days off. He said it was unnecessary because of its close proximity to Thanksgiving.
"Students tend to take off a couple extra days. so it disrumbs teaching," he said.
The short time span hasn't stopped Virginia Werner, St. Louis junior, from budgeting a 16-hour, round-trip drive in her weekend itinerary. Werner, an architecture major, will head to Chicago this weekend for the second fall break in a row to visit a friend and to sightsee.
"It's a fun place with a lot of architecturally significant buildings that are worth seeing." she said.
One senior said he would use the free time to catch up on homework and on his relationship with God. Lanard Paden, of Kansas City, Kan., said he would attend a national Christian convention in Dallas to meet people with the same values.
"By chance, it fell on this weekend, so I can go," he said.
Students don't have to worry about the future of fall break for a few more years. The Board of Regents approved a slot on the University's yearly calendar for a fall break through 2007. KU does not currently have a governance committee evaluating the effectiveness of fall break.
John Nowak/Kansan
"I'd always planned on doing that with my hair — getting it cut and donating it when I was done growing it out,"
Brenda Pollom, St. Louis senior
Edited by Katie Teske
Locks of Love
Kerry Lockes, owner of Get Ready salon, 714 Vermont St., helps Celeste Fish, Pittsburg junior; cut off her hair for charity. Lockes worked with Locks of Love, sponsored by KJHK, to cut hair on Wesoc Beach yesterday. The hair will be donated to make custom wigs for children with cancer.
Students make the cut for custom wigs
By Jenna Goephert
jgoephert@kansan.com
kansan staff writer
In just 10 seconds, Jim Guyll lost something it took him three years to grow—his 10-inch ponytail.
As a stylist on Wescoe Beach snipped at his hair yesterday morning, Guyll, Hutchinson senior, reflected on his loss.
"The only bad thing is I'm going to a Tool concert tomorrow night and I can't headbang properly," he said.
Concert etiquette aside, Guyll and 44 other KU students and Lawrence residents helped Locks of Love, a national nonprofit group that provides custom-fitted wigs for children with hair loss due to medical conditions.
"Rock your Locks Off" was held yesterday on Wescoe Beach to collect hair for Locks of Love. The event was sponsored by KJHK 90.7 and organized by Brenda Pollom, St. Louis senior, as an assignment for her media management class. Organizing and participating in the event was a personal goal for Pollom, who is also a staff member of The University Daily Kansan.
She had been growing out her hair since her freshman year.
"I'd always planned on doing that with my hair—getting it cut and donating it when I was done growing it out," she said.
Pollom said she wanted to organize the drive since her grandmother had been diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. She had a dream a week later that she had organized a hair drive on Wescoe Beach.
Pollom said she thought the event would be well-received.
"For most people with long hair, the reason they're growing out their hair is because they want to give it to Locks of Love." Pollom said of potential donors.
Whitney Rice, Lee's Summit, Mo., sopho-
SEE LOCKS ON PAGE 7A
Heat costs predicted to increase this winter
By Erin Beaty
ebeatty@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Potentially cooler weather and rising demand across the country could cause significant increases in residential heating bills this winter.
The Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy released a report this month that stated residential consumers could pay $100 to $300 more for heating bills this winter.
The main sources of energy for heat in the country are natural gas, propane, heating oil and electricity.
According to the report, Short-Term Energy Outlook, prices could increase 19 percent for natural gas, 22 percent for propane and 45 percent for heating oil if winter weather is normal.
Matt Makens, meteorologist at Channel 6 in Lawrence, said winter weather this year was expected to be warmer than average, similar to last winter's temperatures.
But heating prices could still increase because of high demand and low storages of natural gas, said Lee Allison, director of the Kansas Geological Survey and chairman of the State Energy Resources Coordinating Council.
Allison said that demand for natural gas had been dramatically increasing for the past 10 years, but that the supply had not increased as significantly to meet the demand.
Natural gas storages are low because plants that used to store the gas during the summer and use it only during the winter are now using it year-round, creating shortages during the winter, Allison said.
Problem because the economy was slow and the weather was warmer than usual, so the demand remained relatively low. But if this winter turns colder and the economy picks up, the higher demand could create the potential for higher prices. Allison said.
Curly Andrews at the National Energy Information Center said 55 percent of Midwesterners heated their homes with
SEE HEAT ON PAGE 7A
Accident victim's injuries improving 'day-by-day'
By Michelle Burhenn
mburhenn@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Josh Walton, Olathe sophomore, was in critical condition Monday, said his mother Cherris Walton of Olathe. Doctors at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan., took Walton off of the ventilator Sunday, but only for a few hours.
The KU student seriously injured after a head-on collision last week with a tractor-trailer is making day-by-day improvements, his mother said.
"Sometimes he made sense and sometimes he didn't," she said. "But I think he's going to be OK."
Walton and his passenger Ryan Galemore, a former KU student, were injured early Oct. 8 after a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer going the wrong way on
"He'll be in pain for the rest of his life. But as far as the rest of him, we think he'll be OK."
Kansas Highway 10. Walton and Galemore were taken by air ambulance to the Med Center. The driver of the tractortrailer, Horace Jordan, was taken by ambulance to Lawrence Memorial Hospital and was treated and released.
Cherris Walton Mother of Josh Walton, Olathe sophomore
His mother said he had a head injury, a broken leg and a shattered lower right arm. Doctors had to sew his right kneecap back into place. Walton also
Galemore was in fair condition. Walton was in serious condition yesterday, hospital officials said.
had a kidney laceration and cracks in his backbones.
His mother said recovery would be a long process, and she wishes for a full recovery. The family and doctors have to wait until he is off the ventilator before they can predict the length of his recovery.
"He'll be in pain for the rest of his life," she said. "But as far as the rest of him, we think he'll be OK."
Walton's mother said a lot of family members and friends had visited her son since the accident early Tuesday morning, but because of a recent fever, visitors would be restricted until later this week.
Lt. Kathy Tate of Douglas County Sheriff's Office said deputies were still investigating the accident. After the investigation is completed, it will be forwarded to the district attorney's office.
- Edited by Jessica Hood
Flames engulfed a car yesterday and damaged four other vehicles in the McColum and Ellsworth parking lot, Lt. Schuyler Bailey of the KU Public Safety Office said.
Jared Soares/Kansan
Bailey said officers responded to the lot at 3:10 p.m. yesterday after someone reported a 1933 blue Pontiac was on fire.
A preliminary investigation determined it was a possible electrical fire, Bailey said. He said yesterday he could not verify the owner
of the car. Estimated damage to the car or the four other cars was not available yesterday
Jeff Mueller, Buffalo Grove, Ill., freshman, said he saw what at first looked like a cloud of dust hovering over the car as he waited for the bus.
"Then I saw flames coming from the bottom," he said. "The fire was really large and the flames were huge."
Michelle Burhenn